Flower for Mothers in China: Hemerocallis Fulva

Carnation

Mother's Day and Carnation have had an association for a very long time because according to a Christian legend, this is the plant that sprung up when Jesus Christ's mother Mary shed tears of distress seeing her son enduring sufferings with the cross. Anna Jarvis, in 1907, chose carnation as the emblem of Mother's Day. White carnation is thought to be ideal for Mother's Day because according to Jarvis, whiteness stood for qualities like purity, faithfulness, fragrance, and love. White carnations are associated with the sad feeling of s mother being absent, either due to death or due to the distance that separates the mother and the child. Red and pink carnations symbolize the feelings of affection for a mother who is alive.

In China, we also have a kind of flower for mothers: Hemerocallis fulva

 

Hemerocallis Fulva

Hemerocallis fulva, also called “Xuancao” in Chinese, has a long history in China. “Xuan” means to forget, so the ancients also called it Wangyou Cao (Forgetting Sadness Grass).

Ancient Chinese are very particular about the living rooms of the family members. Women often lived the north room, which was in the shade and suitable to plant Hemerocallis fulva. Therefore, the north room was called “Xuantang”.

Hemerocallis fulva was praised in poems in ancient time. Famous poems including Cao Zhi, Meng Jiao and Su Dongpo had had Hemerocallis fulva as the subject of their work. As early as in thousands of years ago, Hemerocallis fulva have been integrated into the Chinese culture and become the flower for mothers in China.

Editor: Ding Yujie